Former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers this week became an official ambassador of Northern Ireland Hospice and Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.

The Carnlough native welcomed an invitation from Northern Ireland’s largest local charity to support campaigns and help raise awareness of the organisation’s care services throughout Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Hospice is about to embark on a new chapter with the opening of a £13m dementia-friendly hospice in Belfast this Spring.

Brendan has had first-hand experience of hospice care in his family, having lost his father, Malachy, to cancer in 2011.

“I am very proud of my roots as a Northern Ireland man and very well aware of the first-class hospice care provided here,” said Rodgers. “To be asked to take on the role of Ambassador for a charity such as Northern Ireland Hospice makes me equally humbled and excited.

“Northern Ireland Hospice and Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice are both at the forefront of palliative care, support, education and research. The new adult hospice due to open this year will make Northern Ireland a world-leader in many aspects of hospice care.”

His first engagement for the charity will see him break sweat for the cause. He will be part of an all-star Hospice Heroes relay team in the Belfast City Marathon on Monday, May 2.